Around the Empire: Yankees news - 11/8/23

The Athletic ($) | Chris Kirschner: So uh, yesterday was a pretty awkward day in Arizona. Brian Cashman gave his yearly press conference at the GM meetings and it did not go well, or maybe it did depending on your definition. This was the most visibly angry Cashman has ever been publicly. Kirschner’s rundown is the best you’ll see.* His comparison to Denzel’s Training Day was surprisingly accurate. As Evan Drellich also noted, the biggest problem might be a breakdown in communication between the front office and the players that Cashman might have unintentionally revealed.

*If you don’t have an Athletic subscription, Andy Martino’s SNY article gets the job done, too.

The Score | Josh Goldberg: In atypical fashion, Hal Steinbrenner’s comments were slightly(?) more promising than Cashman’s. While he did portray skepticism around a team needing to run a $300 million payroll, he did make clear that all deals are on the table. It’s fair to not fully believe those comments (or to roll your eyes at the bits on bunting and the decision to retain Aaron Boone), but still, the willingness was a better way to start the day than how it ended with his right-hand man, Cashman.

CBS Sports | R.J. Anderson: On a typical day, this is the type of news that would lead the daily roundup. The Yankees have offered their hitting coach vacancy to James Rowson. He served as the Tigers’ assistant hitting coach this past season and was the lead man in Minnesota from 2017-19, but was with the Yankees in two previous stints. Most importantly, he is known for his close relationship with Aaron Judge. Once this becomes official, expect more thoughts and information on his hitting approach.

New York Post | Jon Heyman: Cody Bellinger is a talented baseball player represented by Scott Boras. Heyman is anecdotally known to be one of the unofficial spokespeople for Boras propaganda. While I don’t doubt the Yankees have some interest in the talents of Bellinger, given his left-handed prowess and good center field defense, taking on a player with much risk from a performance and injury perspective would be unexpected from Cashman, especially with Juan Soto available.

MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: The journey of the former Yankees Rookie of the Year runner-up has a new chapter. This time, Miguel Andújar will be taking his talents to northern California after an unsuccessful chapter in Pittsburgh. Andújar, who has struggled since his rookie season, might have a chance for solid playing time in Oakland with their lack of depth and staying power at the corner infield positions, and across the organization in general.